Miller Canyon

MILLER CANYON

Miller (L) and Carr (R) Peaks seen from Miller Canyon

Arizona’s isolated mountain ranges known as “sky islands” are like no other places on earth.  Whether explored by car, like a drive up the Swift Trail to Mount Graham in the Pinaleno Mountains near Safford or a by foot in the Santa Catalina range in Tucson, the vertical journeys take travelers from sweltering desert valleys to cool alpine climes over just a few, very steep miles.

Oaks arch over the lower end of Miller Canyon

Some of the most interesting sky island destinations are in the Huachuca Mountains located near Sierra Vista in the Coronado National Forest in southeastern Arizona. 

Aspens glow in autumn gold below Miller Peak

Rich in both biodiversity and human history, the chain of ragged peaks and crests that jut abruptly from the desert floor are laced with dozens of hiking trails that wind through breezy grasslands, streambeds, canyons, mineral-imbued escarpments and exposed pinnacles for myriad exploratory opportunities.

Hike is in the Miller Peak Wilderness area

One of the easiest to get to is the Miller Canyon Trail No. 106.

Massive boulders line the trail in Miller Canyon

 

The 3.5-mile route begins by circumventing a slice of private property before heading out on a former mining road.  Within a few yards from the trailhead, views of the San Pedro Valley and the Mule Mountains around the town of Bisbee peek out from a fringe of oak trees and high desert scrub and cacti.

View of the San Pedro Valley from the trail

Pines and Douglas fir trees shade the upper trail

 This little tease of vistas is the last glimpse offered before the route enters the Miller Peak Wilderness area and slips into a riparian zone at the head of the canyon. 

Trail climbs from desert scrub to alpine aspens

Shaded by gigantic sycamore and walnut trees, the green oasis is fed by an intermittent stream that flows from springs and runoff originating high in the hills above.  The path gradually leaves the high desert vegetation zone and moves into a wetter, canyon-bound corridor of big-tooth maples and soaring canopies of arching oaks. 

The area has dozens of connecting trails

The trail crosses the streambed several times as it works its way uphill, hugging the edge of the sliver-thin canyon cluttered with flood debris and boulders. 

Bigtooth maples clutter a drainage

Some of the crossings expose rusty 19-century pipes that were once used to funnel water to nearby towns.  As the trail gains elevation and contracts from wide dirt road to thin footpath, pine and Douglas fir trees dominate the forest, keeping the trail nice and shady for a good part of the way.

Desert and forest biozones collide in Miller Canyon

The climbing is steady but not too difficult until around the 1.5-mile point where the first set of switchbacks herald the start of the serious lung workout ahead.  This is about where relics from defunct mining operations begin showing up in oxidized heaps off the trail. 

The trail crosses several drainages

Look for gears, a boiler and miscellaneous parts disintegrating among abandoned digs. 

Climbing gets steep on the switchbacks

A second set of switchbacks make a final, more aggressive ascent, passing by distinctive Bathtub Spring to meet the Crest Trail No. 103 on an aspen-dotted ridge between Carr and Miller Peaks.

Defunct mining equipment decorates the trail

Now clear of the thick tree cover and confines of the canyon, hikers get a second shot at gorgeous mountain and valley vistas. 

Looking into Mexico from Miller Peak summit

The Crest Trail marks the end of the Miller Canyon Trail, however, it also provides access to the spur trails that ascend both peaks.  

Sycamore trees shade the lower trail

From the junction, it’s another 1.3 miles to 9,230-foot Carr Peak or 2.3 miles to 9,466-foot Miller Peak. Miller Peak, which is located just 4 miles from the Mexico border, holds the distinction of being the southernmost high peak in the United States and is a must-do for mountain-obsessed Arizona hikers.

LENGTH: 7 miles round trip

With Miller Peak: 11.4 miles round trip

With Carr Peak: 9.4 miles round trip

RATING: difficult

ELEVATION: 5,750 – 8,525 feet, Miller Canyon Trail only.

5,750 – 9,466 feet with Miller peak

5,750 – 9,230 feet with Carr Peak

GETTING THERE:

In Sierra Vista, go 9 miles south on State Route 92 to Miller Canyon Road (Forest Road 56) on the right.  Continue 2.5 miles on FR 56 to the Miller Canyon trailhead at the end of the road.  Forest Road 56 is a narrow dirt road with some rough spots.  While carefully driven sedans can get through, a high-clearance vehicle is recommended.  Hike begins near the stop sign.

INFO:

Coronado National Forest

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coronado/recarea/?recid=25496

Learn more about sky islands:

https://skyislandalliance.org/the-sky-islands/

Hike Calendar 2022

2022 PHOENIX magazine Hike Calendar.  

This 11" x 17" full color, spiral bound wall calendar will help you commit to hiking a trail a week in 2022. The 52 hikes are arranged according to seasons and each hike is linked to an online photo gallery and description with an easy-to-use QR code.  I have personally hiked and photographed each trail and selected those that will inspire you to dust off your boots week-after-week.  These make great holiday gifts, too!

Order here:

https://cities-west-publishing.square.site/

Tap Tank

TAP TANK

Annual goldeneye in full bloom Sept. 25, 2021

October in Arizona means cooler temperatures, dusting off of hiking boots and the annual rush to view golden high-country fall foliage.

View from the high pastures above Rarick Canyon

While it’s sometimes overlooked, Arizona autumn gold happens underfoot as well as overhead. The low-growing option is easy to spot along Interstate 17 between Sedona and Flagstaff.

Landforms of Sedona viewed from FR 213F

 

Tap Tank caps off the hike in Coconino NF

From late September through October, the rangeland is dominated by the peaking of Annual goldeneye flowers that blanket the rolling hills in a paint-splatter style reminiscent of loosely-rendered works created by plein air impressionists working in airy, Provence meadows.

Tap Tank attracts wildlife and domestic cattle

 

Annual goldeneye bloom May - October

The annual showing of Heliomeris longifolia var. annua, a knee-high, shrub-like plant in the sunflower family that produces small golden flowers from May through October, is at its best in early fall.  

The route crosses rugged Rarick Canyon

One particularly fine area to walk among the blooms is the rangeland of Coconino National Forest around Stoneman Lake north of Camp Verde.  Many dirt roads wind through the hilly backcountry including one that’s not only dripping in goldeneyes, but includes a dip into scenic Rarick Canyon and a traipse to a high pasture with a glassy stock tank and amazing vistas.

Storm clouds brew above FR 213F

View from the upper end of FR 213F

Forest Road 213F serves as the trail for this moderate-rated hike.  The rough dirt two-track begins easily enough with a short walk through juniper-studded flats. At the 0.2-mile point, the road splits. 

Acres of Annual goldeneye color the landscape

Take the less-obvious left fork to stay on FR 213F and save the unnamed right track for a surprise add-on trip on the way back.  A half-mile in, the road starts a short, steep dip into Rarick Canyon and crosses the bottom of the rocky gorge.

Wright's birdbeak blooms Jun- October

 Once past the boulder-jumbled gully, the road heads up the east face of the canyon wall. It’s less than 500 feet of climbing from the canyon depths to the high pastures above, but many dips and ascents along the way accumulate to over 1,300 feet of elevation change. 

Mountain vistas and high pastures on FR 213F

Along this segment, views of the Verde Valley, Bradshaw Mountains and the colorful rock formations of Sedona open up to the north.  At the 1.8-mile point, the road splits again.  Forest Road 213J spins off to the left while FR 213F continues south around 6,197-foot Table Mountain. 

The road dips & climbs through Rarick Canyon

For this trip, take the left fork which is marked by a faded post obscured by a juniper tree, and follow the overgrown road a few yards to Tap Tank.  Set in a shallow depression on the north side of the road, the glassy livestock water hole is besieged with a fringe of wildflowers, water plants, hip-high grasses and an arc of junipers.  

A skunk bush blushes with autumn color

The tank makes for a good turnaround point.  For an alternate look at the annual goldeneye show, backtrack to the first junction and head out on the unsigned right fork.  This spur road is flatter and sunnier than its companion route. 

Extend the hike on an unnamed spur road

Over its 0.6-mile course, it serves up a full menu of breath-taking vistas that rise above acres of scrub oak, yucca and a seemingly never-ending sea of golden blooms before it dead-ends at the lip of Rarick Canyon.

White prairie aster bloom August - October

LENGTH: 5 miles round trip (including the spur road)

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION: 5,548 – 6,031 feet (1,313 feet accumulated elevation change)

GETTING THERE:

From Interstate 17 drive 19 miles north of Camp Verde and take the Stoneman Lake exit 306. Head east at the bottom of the off ramp and follow Stoneman Lake Road (Forest Road 213) 1.8 miles to Forest Road 213F on the right where there’s a gate and cattle guard.  There’s parking for 2-3 vehicles near the gate.  NOTE: FR 213F may be closed in winter and when there’s flooding in the canyon.

Seven Mile Gulch Trail

SEVEN MILE GULCH TRAIL

It's a steep climb up Seven Mile Gulch trail

It’s a scare hikers don’t soon forget.  Low growling, rustling sounds coming from trailside shrubs that hint at something ominous or predatory abruptly morph into the dull pounding cadence of a roused beast before the makers burst from their cover.  This is what it sounds like when doves fly.  

Beautiful scrubland on the trail's exposed ridges

While the startling wildlife encounter is a familiar one in Arizona’s brushlands, it never loses its fright factor. 

Feathery seeds of Alderleaf mountain mahogany

Still, the experience dovetails nicely with hikes that challenge physical stamina as well as mental fortitude.  

A "rest spot" on the trail showcases great views

Hikers can test their mettle, and maybe rouse some doves, on Prescott’s Seven Mile Gulch Trail No. 9854.   

A monsoon storm brews over Seven Mile Gulch

Located in the Lynx Lake Recreation Area in Prescott National Forest just a couple miles south of State Route 69, the shared-use route offers a strenuous climb, diverse eco-zones, wildlife viewing opportunities and sweet mountain vistas.

The trail knocks off its nearly 1,300-foot ascent in a series of insanely vertical hauls with short breather segments and dips into woodsy enclaves. 

The hike begins in pine woodlands

The hike starts out as an easy, half-mile stroll

through pine woodlands before exiting the tree cover and heading uphill on the first of many sheer inclines. 

Brilliant scarlet creeper blooms May - October

Where the route begins its direct assault on the ridgelines and hills west of Lynx Lake the trail is surrounded by scrub oaks, manzanita shrubs, random juniper trees and acres of grasslands. 

Open to hikers, equestrians, bikes and small motorized vehicles, the trail follows a wide road of scaley, torn up metamorphic stone shelves and loose rocks. It’s difficult to imagine getting a bike, horse or ATV up this puppy.  If a dove jolt didn’t wake you up, this will.

Lush forest near Seven Mile Tank

 At the 1.3-mile point, the trail begins a drop back into pine forests, where it bottoms out at Seven Mile Tank, a shallow water catchment where canyon grape vines and moisture-loving plants and wildflowers thrive in a sun-dappled pocket of greenery. 

Trail moves between scrublands and pine woodlands

The shaded hollow attracts deer, swarms of pollinators and the domestic cattle that roam in this historic livestock grazing area.

Slimleaf lima bean blooms May - October

The brief respite from exposed ridges soon ends and the climbing resumes with more slippery, vertical segments that reveal ever-expanding views of Prescott Valley, Spruce Mountain, the granite dells near Watson Lake, the vivid green course of Lynx Creek and Flagstaff’s San Francisco peaks on the distant horizon.  

Orange globemallow mingles with western yarrow

From sunny landings on the way up, acres of alderleaf mountain mahogany bushes that sprout long, feathery seeds in summer thru early fall blanket the surrounding slopes like winter frost.  

Birchleaf buckthorn berries ripen in fall

After 2.3 miles of unrelenting up, the route meets Ranch Trail No. 62 before gradually ducking back into pine forests for the final walk to where the trail ends at the junction with Watershed Trail No. 299 in the shadow of 7,631-foot Bigelow Peak. 

Beware of rogue wildlife bursting from scrub

There aren’t any good loop options using the connecting routes, unless roads are used, which is why most hikers make the junction their turnaround point.

Prairie clover attracts pollinators

LENGTH:  6.2 miles up-and-back

RATING:  difficult

ELEVATION: 5,506 – 6,767 feet

GETTING THERE:

From State Route 69 in Prescott, go 2 miles south on Walker Road to the trailhead on the right just past the Highlands Center.

INFO: Prescott National Forest

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/prescott/recreation/recarea/?recid=67659&actid=50

Botanical Bonanza

Botanical Bonanza

L-R: 1995 edition, 2012 edition, 2021 edition

 

One of the things readers of this blog appreciate most are the images and identifications of plants and wildflowers included with each hike description.  In addition to landmarks, geological formations and wildlife, vegetation is a defining characteristic of hiking trails.  Whether trekking through alpine tundra, pine-oak woodlands, chaparral or Arizona’s iconic Sonoran Desert, hikers encounter myriad species of trees, shrubs, cacti and wildflowers.  Appreciation of these colorful understories and canopies is enhanced by putting names to the sighted specimens.  

While I use multiple sources to help identify the plant photos I share, my go-to source for the past 25 years has been the Falcon Guide, Plants of Arizona.  About to be released in its third updated edition, the book features color images and accurate, concise descriptions of over 1000 plants that help non-pros like myself identify and learn about Arizona’s botanical bounty. Entries are sorted by flower color and descriptions include botanical names and plant family, habitat, blooming season, elevation range, whether the plant is native or invasive, common or rare and information about ethnobotanical uses, history and precautions.  The third edition has been upgraded with additional photos showing full-plant views and various flowering/fruiting stages of development.  A glossary of botanical terms, Arizona life zones and an overview of plant families round out this detailed, yet approachable guide. 

  

Plants of Arizona: Third Edition

By John F. Wiens and Anne Orth Epple

Falcon Guides

Paperback, October 2021, $34.95

512 pages, 6” x 9”

Schultz Creek Trail

SCHULTZ CREEK TRAIL

Aspens thrive on the upper reaches of Schultz Creek Trail

Slung between he edge-hugging dirt track of Schultz Pass Road and the sheer foothills below Mount Elden, Schultz Creek Trail rolls out like an emerald half-pipe.  Because of its fluid, north-south track, hairpin turns and mild jumps, the historic route in the Mount Elden-Dry Lakes Hills area just a few miles north of downtown Flagstaff is a magnet mountain bikers and hikers who don’t mind sharing the path with swooping wheeled traffic.

Mixed-conifer woodlands dominate much of the hike

The pine-cloistered trail clings to ledges above numerous drainages and the course of Schultz Creek.  The U-shaped space through which the trail runs is short on mountain views but long on woodland diversity.

The route shares space with the Arizona Trail

Throughout the hike, slash piles—pyramids of cut logs and brush--are stacked neatly off to the side.  The piles are part of the ongoing Midway portion of the Flagstaff Watershed Protection Project, a joint effort of state, city, and Coconino National Forest teams to help reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires and post-fire flooding through treatments such as tree thinning and fuels reduction.

Views are spare in the "emerald half pipe."

Arizona gilia bloom May - September

Forest service contractors will be using heavy equipment to move the slash around Schultz Pass now through March 2022. Trail users should exercise caution and steer clear of oversized trucks around the Sunset trailhead and surrounding forest roads.  Parking at the south trailhead or overflow lot will be the smart move for the next few months.

Aspen fleabane color the trail July - October

The trail ducks among deep woods & aspen glens

Schultz Creek trail presents a constant but moderate climb that begins in Ponderosa pine forests that gradually merge with fir and spruce as the path approaches its higher elevations. 

A slash pile (center right) awaits removal

The first 2.9-mile slice of the route is also part of the Arizona National Scenic Trail Passage 34, one of the most beautiful and popular sections of the 800+-mile, state-traversing path. 

Yellow columbine bloom April - September

Right about where the Arizona Trail spins off to the left, aspen trees commandeer the landscape.  A break in the deep-woods shade that dominated much of the hike up to this point allows plenty of sun into the steep-walled ravine where the white-barked alpine trees thrive in moist meadows. 

Goldenrod is a common alpine summer bloomer

The final 1.5 miles to the north terminus at the Sunset trailhead stay close to Schultz Pass Road and the course of the creek. 

A monsoon storm brews over the Arizona Trail

Paralleling the seepy, swampy, willow-cluttered creek, the trail passes among colorful wildflowers fields and brambles before meeting the Schultz Loop trail, an optional mile-long detour that lands hikers near Schultz Tank where numerous routes link with the Fort Valley trail system, Kachina Peaks Wilderness and more Dry Lakes Hills paths.

Willows & brambles grow around Schultz Creek

LENGTH: 4.3 miles one way

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION: 7,200 – 8,080 feet

GETTING THERE:

South trailhead & overflow parking:

In Flagstaff, go 3 miles north on U.S. 180 and turn right onto Schultz Pass Road (Forest Road 420).  Continue for a half mile then make a hard left at the FR 557 junction to stay on FR 420 and go another half mile to the Schultz Creek trailhead.  There’s additional parking at the FR420/557 junction.

North trailhead:

From the Schultz Creek trailhead turnoff, continue another 4.9 miles on FR 420 to the Sunset trailhead.

INFO:

Coconino National Forest

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino/recarea/?recid=55172

Arizona Trail

https://aztrail.org/explore/passages/passage-34-san-francisco-peaks/

Flagstaff Watershed Protection Project

https://flagstaffwatershedprotection.org/